"Enough is enough:" Resignations cloud BIA's future
preparing to merge.
was to destroy and not build. We will have
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
He stressed that the BIA did not cost
to rebuild,” adds the mayor.
H AWKESBURY
taxpayers anything because its money comes
The future of the BIA, which was founded
from business people.
in 1985, was debated briefly at Monday’s
Last year, the commission collected
council meeting. The only remaining board
The fate of the Downtown Business
$98,150 in taxes on 172 properties in the
member, Councillor Michel Thibodeau will
Improvement Area (BIA) Commission is
downtown area.
be joined by Councillors Johanne Portelance
up in the air following the resignation of
Members on Main Street pay $575 in dues
and Marc Tourangeau on the board. The
the commission’s board of directors.
while members in other parts of the zone
plan is to call a meeting of BIA members to
<“We have given it back to the town.
pay $250.
elect four more board members.
The council will now decide what to do
The merchants are getting a good deal,
The councillors who voted to cut funding
with it,” says Denis Charlebois, who had
Charlebois contends.
to the Society did not fully comprehend the
been president of the organization for
However, not all members share that
repercussions of the decision, say Charlebois
several years.
view. In November, a petition calling for the
The BIA board quit following town
and Chamber of Commerce President Mario
abolition of the organization was presented
council’s December 20 decision to halt
Briggs.
to council.
funding for the Société de development
Thibodeau was backed by Councillors
“The vast majority of the people who pay
commercial et touristique de Hawkesbury.
André Chamaillard, Portelance and
taxes to the BIA no longer want it,” says
When the town eliminated its $120,000
Tourangeau when he presented his motion
Roger Charest. He and Marielle Charlebois
annual grant, the Society’s board of
to end financial support for the SDCTH,
presented a petition signed by 29 people
directors, also presided by Charlebois, also
which received $835,156 from the town since
who own 106 properties in the BIA zone.
quit and closed its office at La Maison de
2004 and was paid $120,000 last year. The
Council took no action because its
l’île.
mayor and Councillors Michel Beaulne and
mandate was coming to a close and the
The money had been used to pay the
Alain Fraser opposed the resolution.
petition had not been properly presented.
salaries of two employees who worked for
Thibodeau said the funding was no longer
Meanwhile, the chamber of commerce is
the Society, the BIA and the Chamber of
necessary because the town had its own
doing well, said Briggs. “The chamber is
Commerce.
economic development director. Portelance
very strong,” he said, adding that
“It was a devastating impact,” says
and Tourangeau contended that taxpayers
membership has increased from about 80 to
Mayor René Berthiaume, one of three
were tired of supporting an organization
100 members.
members of council who opposed the
that they said generated few benefits for the
decision to cancel the grant. “The result
municipality.
Denis Charlebois
St-Isidore arena on ice
“There was a big lack of information,”
said Briggs.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
“It was decided in advance to destroy the
S T -I SIDORE
society,” Charlebois related.
He said that prior to the December 20
The St-Isidore arena has been closed as
decision, the society had one chance to meet
the facility undergoes repairs to correct
council, when he presented a long-term
some structural defects.
action plan. “We were not consulted. The
“We are not taking any chances with the
four members who voted for this did not
safety of the public,” The Nation Mayor
really know what the repercussions would
François St-Amour says. Several damaged
be,” said Charlebois.
beams were discovered during an inspection.
“Enough is enough. We did not have the
Studio Casa Bella est fier d’accueillir Manon Ouelette
In preparation for the installation of solar
support of council. The people who have
panels on the arena roof, The Nation
been working as volunteers for all those
undertook an inspection of the structure,
comme styliste.
years are no longer interested,” said
which must be done every five years. The
Charlebois, who has been an active member
Manon a 15 ans d’expérience et se fera un plaisir de vous servir.
municipality was advised by an engineering
of the BIA since it was formed.
firm to close the building to the public to
Charlebois, Marcel Laviolette and Marc
ensure nobody would be injured.
Boucher quit in late December; Bernadette
Studio Casa Bella is proud to welcome Manon Ouelette
The damaged beams are being reinforced
Blais had stepped down in October.
with steel. St-Amour believes that the work
“The town will decide the future of the
could cost $100,000. Built in 1961, the arena
BIA now. I hope that more people will come
as a stylist.
has been undergoing a $1.9 million overhaul
forward to keep it going. It would be a big
Manon has 15 years of exprerience and will be happy to serve you.
which includes the construction of two
loss for the community. The three
1-2475, rue Laurier, Rockland, On 613 446-8880
wings. This project has been financed by the
organizations worked together. We had a
municipality and the federal and provincial
super good formula,” said Charlebois. The
governments.
Chamber, the BIA and the society had been
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